Fountainebleau area 12-30-13

Missionary Christmas!

Just wanted to say what up from the hoods of Miami! haha whoop whoop! It was awesome to hear from all of you on Christmas, but sorry momma let me just say that it was easily the worst day in my mish so far! It was the only time ive been sad cause i just missed you guys a ton! But yeah that night when we went out and harvested we literally found no one! So greasy we knocked doors for 3 and half hours and nobody would listen or they just werent home. Usually we can get 3 blessings in an hour easy, but during those 3 and half hours we only got 4. Its all good though because we got another baptism coming tonight!

His name is Osmar and he has literally been taught by 8 sets of missionaries! Yeah crazy, but weve visited him a couple times but when we went and visited him on saturday night you could tell something had changed in him. He truly had been humbled. Him and his wife were telling us how they were in tough times right now and that they believe its because they're not being obedient to God and His Commandments. His wife is less active. But anyways we asked Osmar what he felt he needed to do to fix this and he knew and he said he needs to be baptized! So awesome so we set a time for tonight at 630 because he couldnt do it yesterday. But it was just so awesome to see how he was really just like the people in Alma 32 that he was humbled in his afflictions and finally prepared to be baptized! But so yeah hes getting baptized tonight by the bishop.

Last night was also really cool too, because we went and did some harvesting in some apartments we had just found and holy cow everyone there is just prepared to receive the gospel. 3 doors in a row there was 3 families that all welcomed us in and let us bless their home and all accepted baptism! So crazy! I wanted to just weep tears of joy! But yeah now we need to do good follow up with them, and teach them so they can get into the waters. sorry I dont have enough time to go into details about them but Ill let you know more if theyre gonna get baptized soon.

Its great to hear that you guys are all doing well in O-town and enjoying the mountains. Man I miss those but they are so many beautiful things here in florida. haha its just really hot! But Kyle I didn't receive a letter from you this week so I expect a good one next week! Familia, this gospel is true. It just does bring so much happiness to everyone who lives it! I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to help people come to this joy! Im so grateful for our savior Jesus Christ. I know that he truly took upon him all of the sins of the world, and that the only way we can be cleansed from sin is through Him. I know that He knows us perfectly so we just have to learn how to trust in him. I love you all so much and would just like to invite you to try and find ways to serve others. I truly have learned that we are the happiest when were not thinking about ourselves. In the mish I honestly dont care that I sweat buckets all day or that some people like to yell f words at us on the roads, when we find just one person who lets us pray with them or when we teach someone a powerful lesson it truly makes it all worth it! I have already learned to find joy in the things that I do have, because there are a lot of people in this world who have basically nothing. I love and miss you all so much, just keep living right and helping others!
Elder Nielsen

Florida!!

Familia!
Alright here it goes, I don't have much time so hopefully I can say some stuff. Anyways I mailed you a letter with a lot of info about my area so hopefully you get that because I dont want to say everything thats in that again.

But my area is called Fountainebleau North, and its in the Hialeah zone. My trainer is Elder Ward. We white washed the area which means were both brand new to the area. Normally they keep one elder who already knows the area here, but for some reason it didnt happen. Such a good area though! Im already loving the people here.

President Anderson is so amazing. Holy cow hes got a high standard for us here in the mission! Haha really strict but I know that exact obedience brings miracles and I want miracles! So yeah that means I wont be wearing any brown pants. . . Sorry mom, but dont worry about sending me any more pants ill be fine.

These first few days have been crazy, like unreal. I havent had anytime to think about anything other than missionary work cause its just go go go go all the time because we have a lot of work to do since were white washing. But one thing thats different here is that instead of just knocking peoples doors and asking to leave a message with them, we ask if we can just pray with them, and then if they let us we ask if we can kneel down and bless their home. Its so awesome! We get to use our priesthood multiple times every day, and it really gets people feeling the spirit! We already have 3 new investigators from just that!

Weve been knocking a lot of door these past few days because we dont really know any of the investigators that the past missionaries were teaching so were just trying to find people.

Also our ward here is awesome. Holy cow, our bishop and his counselors are amazing men! It was so good to get to meet them yesterday and all the other members. But yeah sacrament was super amazing, and then after sacrament these 2 sisters introduced us to a friend that this was the 3rd time they had brought him to church, and that the other missionaries had taught a few times as well. His name is Israel, and he is amazing. He has a speech disability and the only thing he can say is Palo-palo. haha so random I know, but you ask him anything and his response is Palo-palo-palo-palo. Yeah so he was kind of tough to teach but the two sisters who brought us to him wanted us to try and teach him everything and get him baptized that day! So during the last 2 hours of church we sat down with him, tried to get to know him, and just started teaching. We just tried to teach straight by the spirit, and have the gift of discernment so we could understand what he was saying. Oh and he can understand everything perfectly and he has some other disability with his right arm that it doesnt work right. Not really sure what it is though.

Anyways needless to say we taught him a ton, basically everything the other elders hadnt taught him, and then invited him to be baptized that day right after church. he smiled huge and just nodded his head and said palo-palo in like a really excited tone! We both felt the spirit and knew he should be baptized! So boom just like that we got him an interview told members about it filled the font got him in a baptismal suit and then baptized and confirmed him! So awesome! I got to baptize him! First baptism in only 5 days here, and we met him and baptized him the same day! So nutty! Straight up miracle! Haha the baptismal ordinance was a little weird because of his disability with his right arm so we didnt really know how to work around it, but so I just held his left hand put my arm to the square and said it all in spanish, and then he was like just so excited to go down, so he just bent like forward instead of back, and then I just kind of helped him go all the way under and then pulled him out. Haha kind of awkward if you can imagine it, but nonetheless he still went all the way under and then I helped him back up and man he was just smiling so big! Haha you could tell he was feeling the spirit hardcore and I was too. After that the bishop shared some thoughts and confirmed him and everything right there. The blessing he gave was INCREDIBLE! He straight up told him that according to his faithfulness and prayers and progression in the gospel he would be healed from his disabilities! Man the spirit was so strong and you could tell Israel when the bishop was talking to him afterword understood everything. K well thats all I got but I love you guys and miss you and cant wait to get to talk to you on Navidad!
Elder Nielsen

Elder Nielsen, Israel, and Elder Ward

First baptism

Mexico MTC pictures

With his companion Elder Beus and their teacher Hermano Enciso

CCM District

With their Branch President Torres

Last week in the Mexico MTC

Yes! Less than one week left here in the CCM! So pumped to get to florida. Im pumped to get there and actually get a package from you guys, because the one never showed up here. Haha must of got lossed in crazy mexican shipping or something. Its all good though! Thank you for getting Jos. A. Bank to send me pants! That will be wonderful! Im hoping that I should be able to call from the airport. I think Ill just try and call from Dallas like you said cause that should be the easiest. If we could skype on christmas that would be unreal!

I loved what you said about agency though, because that really is one of the most important gifts that God has given us. Its important for me to understand too because as you know sometimes I dont like to take no for an answer. But Im learning that there are going to be people that regardless of what I say or what they feel they still wont accept it! Ive already learned that here in the CCM because this week weve been teaching all the people in our district a lot. They pretend to be people they know well that arent LDS and then we have to teach them like theyre real investigators. I was teaching one of the Elders in our district and his investigator just like refuses to accept anything and I was getting so frustrated! But I just need to chill cause its gonna be like that in Florida.

I dont even know what to write about this week because honestly not a whole lot of new stuff has happened. I guess you could say that Me and Elder Beus were kind of on injured reserve, because he rolled his ankle playing basketball and I hurt my back a little bit benching. It was unreal though because I got 195 3 times, then I wanted to get one more, but I my way i just tweaked my back a little. haha yeah I know not the brightest! But im all good now, so no worries. Weve also been waking up every morning at 545 and lifting. I love it! haha its so fun, and it helps me out a ton, because if I dont wake up and work out then I can never fall asleep write at 1030 cause Im not even tired, cause all we do is sit on our butts all day! We go lifting with Elder Acosta and Elder jensen. such homies. Im gonna miss those guys so much. Elder Acostas companion Elder Jensen is so skinny. Like ridiculous. haha he only weighs like 105. he loves lifting with us though, and then whenever its meal times, we always make him eat like 4 plates so that he can BULK UP! so funny then were always making jokes about being Swoll and stuff. haha yeah I know we sound like the typical teenagers but were just finding ways to make the CCM more enjoyable because if we dont then we would be like the hermanas in our district that look like they want to die half the time. haha k that was kinda rude but its true.

We also had some rad spiritual experiences this week. On tuesday night we taught our night teacher Hermano Enciso, but he was an Investigator weve taught a few times named Tito. We were praying so hard before hand for the spirit because the lesson before that one was straight garbage so we recommitted ourselves to really focus on the spirit, and let me tell ya it worked! Holy cow, afterwards we were talking and I mean even though he wasnt an actual investigator and it was just our teacher, the spirit was real, and it was really there! We didnt teach one thing that we planned on teaching that lesson, and it was easily the best lesson we had ever had. He had a lot of questions about faith, so we just turned straight to the scriptures in Alma 32. That night when I was writing about it I honestly couldnt even remember half the things that we taught or said because it wasnt us it was just straight spirit talking.

After that I seriously wanted just every lesson to feel and be exactly the same, and the only way I can do that is if I completely rely upon the Lord and His Spirit. Because if I want a lesson to be powerful for an investigator I have to teach according to their needs, and most of the time I never even know what half of their problems or needs are. But God does, and thats whats amazing about this gospel! I want Him to be able to work through me, so that I can teach every time exactly what the investigator needs to hear. I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I really love the Book of Mormon because all a person has to do to know that this church is true, is read and pray about the Book of Mormon. they dont even have to read the whole thing before they pray, to know that its true. How awesome is that! Familia I love you so much, and I already love my mission so much! Keep growing and nourishing your faith!

Elder Nielsen

Oh and by the way I just wanted you to know that Me and Elder Beus caused new rules here in the CCM. Haha we got told we werent allowed to dunk one day, and then the next day all over the CCM theres this  paper up called the 10 commandments of gym, and one of them is no dunking. So yeah, I guess were pretty cool ;). haha just thought I would let you know. 

Week 4 in the Mexico MTC

Familia!

Thank you for all of the sweet emails! I totally forgot that Trey is supposed to be coming down here soon! I will keep an eye out for him! Thanks for the Byu basketball updates! Ok christmas stuff. haha yes! I definetly need you to send me some stuff. Haha first off you know those pants that we got from Joseph A Bank that said dry clean, but they were like the same material as my other ones so you said to just wash them. Haha yeah ruined. So If you could send me some brown pants that would be great! Haha also I have no idea why im such an idiot and didnt pack a sweatshirt or anything but if you want to send me one of those or I could just buy one there. Also like a sweater that I could wear with just a white shirt would be nice too sometimes it gets fairly cold here. But make sure its long sleeved! And ties! Oh I love ties and wish I would have brought more! I think thats about it. Then if you just want to throw whatever else you think would be helpful in there that would be sweet!

Anyways this week has been way good! haha its hard to remember all of the great experiences Ive had and type them all in one! But its been a great week because Ive studying exactly what you just said Momma! In moroni when hes talking about charity! Everyday Ive been picking one of the attributes it lists, and working on it throughout the day. It has helped me so much!

Probably the biggest thing that me and Elder Beus have accomplished this week is that weve really been trying to learn how to teach by the spirit and teach people not lessons. Weve been praying so hard for the spirit, and weve studying a lot the chapter in preach my gospel that talks all about understanding the spirit. And its paying off! Woohoo! Haha yesterday it was awesome we were teaching our morning investigator her name is Betty, but shes actually our teacher just pretending, and shes 50 years old and has cancer. Anyways we were praying really hard to be able to understand better her needs, because she hasnt really told us much other than she has cancer and its hard for her. So our lesson plan was to just go in and talk to her about the plan of salvation. So we start talking to her and really trying to ask inspired questions, and we both knew right away that we shouldnt teach  about the plan of salvation but that we needed to help strengthen her testimony of the book of mormon to help her receive personal revelation that its true. So awesome! We shared a bunch of scriptures and it was easily the best lesson weve ever had, and we were both were just dominating the spanish! haha we were so pumped because we got her to commit to baptism at the end, as well as read a specific chapter from the Book of Mormon and commited her to come to church with us on sunday. It felt so real even though it was just our teacher pretending to be a real investigator she had in her misssion! I cant wait to actually get to the field and start teaching real people and trying to help them receive this gospel!

This week weve also had some responsibilities as zone leaders. A lot of people in our zone, specifically in our district though, are not using their time wisely. And thats really frustrating for me and Elder Beus because they dont seem to understand that its not our time, but the Lords time. Even our teachers have noticed and they both came up to us and said their doing all they can to get people motivated to study and work harder, but they said its our turn to do something. haha so we decided to sit everyone down and just yell at them and tell them to be better. Haha just kidding not at all what we did! Even though we may have thought about it. ;) but so what we decided to do is we came up with a bunch of goals to help improve our time management with everyone in the zone, and we got all the district leaders together and told them what they need to tell their districts about the goals, and that they really need to get people to implement them! Weve butted heads a little bit with some people but I think weve got our point across that were not perfect examples but that we just want them and us as well to work harder because God is always happy, but never satisfied!

Dont worry momma my shirts are still white and I know how to do my laundry! Me and Elder beus both leave the same day. Im ticked though cause that package hasnt come yet! Haha im getting so impatient! Anyways I just want to say that I know that this gospel is true and that it changes lives! Its changed mine and now all I want is to help at least one person feel of the joy that I have felt! Ive been studying a lot of the Atonement this week as well and my testimony has really grown. One of my favorites scriptures about the atonement is in Alma 7, im pretty sure verses 11 and 12. Anyways read that and then understand what it means to "succor". I know Christ suffered for all of us, and that the only way we can be clean and free of guilt is through him. I love all you guys so much, and hope your enjoying the freezing cold and snow because its sunny and 75 here!  love you guys.

Elder Nielsen